How our Mercury space capsule helped WIN the Space Race

Before Apollo 11 landed on the moon and changed the course of history, the U.S. and Soviet Union battled for control of space in a Cold War clash that rocked the globe. A remnant of this struggle, Mercury-Atlas capsule #6, on permeant display in our Hall of Astronomy, still captures the gravity of that race to the stars in every scratch and dent scattered across its hull. What exactly did it take to send America’s first astronauts into orbit? A barrel-worth of flying monkeys, a few melting missiles, and all the brainpower of an oft-forgotten engineer in Houston.Questions? Comments? Show ideas? Email podcasts@hmns.org.

Om Podcasten

A museum is only as special as the treasures it watches over. For the Houston Museum of Natural Science, that’s more than 2.5 million objects. Each of these amazing items -- from hulking dinosaur mummies to delicate butterfly wings and intricately carved seashells -- has a story. Join curators and experts as they share where these objects came from and what happens once they get to HMNS.  Got an object you’d like to learn more about? How about a science question you’ve been dying to ask? Let us know at podcasts@hmns.org.